Boryeong Mud Festival

Over the weekend, some friends and I went to the famous Mud Festival in Boryeong, a beach town on the west coast. Usually, we travel on our own, but for this trip, we used a tour company called Enjoy Korea. The tour included a direct bus and a room in a pension near the beach. With the 5+ hour distance from Gyeongnam, we thought it was the easiest (and least expensive) way to travel to the other side of the country. It was also the best way to spend the most time together for our last weekend in Korea.

The Boryeong Mud Fest is popular with Koreans and international visitors, so it was very crowded when we arrived on Saturday afternoon. As you can see by the pictures below, the lines were long! The weather was cloudy, with some drizzling on and off, but it was still fine for muddy shenanigans. The mud is supposed to have a lot of minerals that are good for your skin, so some people were covered from head to toe in order to soak up all the benefits. Though we did not get quite that dirty, we went on the slides and threw the watery mud at each other for a few hours. We also jumped in the ocean to rinse off at the end.

After showering and eating a quick dinner, we headed back to the beach for the evening concert. A instrumental group started the show with traditional music, including “Arirang,” which they played on the marimba and electric guitar. A Korean singer also performed a few popular songs, but everyone in the audience was waiting for the real headliner:

PSY!

Yes, that PSY.

After an hour of opening acts, PSY came onstage and performed his most famous songs, including “Gentleman,” “Daddy,” and of course, “Gangnam Style.” After he sang two or three songs, some people in the audience started chanting for an encore–at which PSY looked confused and responded that the concert had only just begun!

I am not fond of k-pop, but the concert was a blast and it was such an energetic show. It was probably the highlight of our weekend.

On Sunday, the weather was a little better, so we took a walk along the beach. We also picked up some t-shirts and skincare products made from the Boryeong mud. In the afternoon, we started the long bus ride home and said goodbye at the bus station in Changwon. It is hard to believe that we will not travel around Korea together anymore! I am so glad we were able to have one last hurrah before leaving. Now, back to school!